Kasich Unveils Education Overhaul Plan

Ohio's governor is proposing a school-funding overhaul he says will help poor districts compete more evenly while introducing changes to promote innovation and performance.

The plan unveiled by Republican John Kasich Thursday is focused on giving all students the resources to succeed. Kasich's funding plan would boost districts that are lagging in property values and household incomes.

Kasich education advisers say no schools will see reduced funding next year under the current formula, and overall funding will rise. A special fund would be created to reward districts for efficiency and advances.

The plan also offers help for extra costs of special-needs students, and to provide more school choice.

The long-awaited plan is expected to kick off months of debate over Ohio's education direction.

Gov. John Kasich also says he believes the plan being announced later Thursday will pass constitutional muster. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that Ohio relied too much on property taxes, which can vary widely between rich and poor districts.

The Republican governor told a legislative preview organized for journalists by The Associated Press that the overhaul strips out politics and pushes funding dollars into the classrooms. He says students in every part of state should have the resources to compete, regardless of what kind of district they are in. He says that includes disabled students.

Kasich stopped short Thursday morning of disclosing any specifics about his plan.

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Governor Kasich is set to reveal his plans to overhaul school funding in the state. There’s very little known about details but as Emily McCord reports for WYSO, it’s likely that digital education will be component.